At Sifuzhai, the hairpins are selling exceptionally well. A woman from the Yu family places a large order and sends an invitation to the Li sisters for a summer flower-viewing party, inviting them to enjoy the flowers together. On the day of the event, Du Yangxi buys Shouhua a golden hairpin and wishes to accompany her to the party, but Shouhua politely declines.
While ironing clothes, Runyue accidentally ruins one of Shouhua’s dresses. Instead of scolding her, Shouhua shows concern, asking if Runyue was burned, which deeply moves her. Initially, Runyue tries to dissuade Shouhua from attending the party, but Shouhua feels it would be impolite to cancel last minute. She decides to wear an old dress and brings her sisters to the Yu residence.
At the flower-viewing party, Yu Xiu’e deliberately tries to befriend Shouhua, aiming to get closer to her. Shouhua, already aware that Runyue is a spy planted by Yu Xiu’e, intentionally sends Kangning away. Meanwhile, Chai An tracks down Yan Zimei and has him captured and brought back to Bianjing. Chai An pressures Yan Zimei to reveal the truth about the false accusation against Madam Cui, threatening to send him to the authorities if he refuses. Yan Zimei tearfully confesses that he was coerced into the scheme.
Similarly, Shouhua confronts Yu Xiu’e, accusing her of being behind Yan Zimei’s actions. Yu Xiu’e, unfazed, openly admits to it and even suggests that Shouhua should give up Du Yangxi, the talented scholar, hinting that she could arrange for Shouhua to marry into greater wealth and become a princess. Shouhua, disgusted by Yu Xiu’e’s proposal, leaves the party with her sisters. On their way back, she shares what happened, and they discuss how, even if Shouhua remains unmoved by the temptation, Du Yangxi might be swayed by the Yu family’s influence.
However, after learning of Shouhua’s concerns, Du Yangxi personally visits the Yu family to clarify the situation and reassure Shouhua. When Prime Minister Yu Weiyi finds out about his daughter’s scheming, he becomes furious and interrogates Yu Xiu’e, even threatening to punish her severely for her shameless behavior.
At a critical moment, Madam Yu arrives and intervenes, trying to calm her husband down. Yu Weiyi, however, rebukes her, saying that a mother’s lack of virtue inevitably leads to a daughter’s misdeeds. After Yu Weiyi leaves, Yu Xiu’e declares that she will marry no one but Du Yangxi and begs her mother to help her win him back from Shouhua. Madam Yu, out of love for her daughter, devises a plan to snatch Du Yangxi away from Shouhua.
The next morning, Du Yangxi’s mother, accompanied by Madam Li, goes to a temple to offer incense and fulfill a vow. However, Madam Yu sends someone to invite Du’s mother to the Yu residence for a chat. When Madam Li cannot find Du’s mother, she grows anxious and quickly informs Du Yangxi. Meanwhile, Du’s mother, wise and principled, pretends to be unaware of the situation and politely declines the marriage proposal. Madam Yu, displeased, detains Du’s mother. Fortunately, the maid Sangma understands the urgency and secretly climbs over the wall to send word to Du Yangxi.
Upon receiving the message, Du Yangxi rushes to the Yu residence, only to find that Madam Yu has ordered the servants not to offer him a seat or tea, deliberately making things difficult for him. He is forced to stand outside for an entire hour until nightfall, when he is finally allowed inside. The butler escorts Du Yangxi to the study, where he finally sees his mother and confirms that she is safe.
Just as Du Yangxi prepares to leave with his mother, Yu Weiyi appears and apologizes to him. Upon hearing Yu Weiyi’s voice, Du’s mother instinctively clutches Du Yangxi’s clothes, looking panicked and urging him to take her away. This reaction catches Yu Weiyi’s attention.
Later, Shouhua personally tends to Du’s mother as she rests. Du Yangxi stays by her bedside, noticing that his mother is having a restless dream, calling out his name in her sleep. This makes him uneasy. At that moment, Du Yangxi recalls his mother’s strange reaction at the Yu residence and takes out a jade pendant from his sleeve, suspecting that his mother and Yu Weiyi must have known each other in the past.
The next morning, Shouhua and Sangma are busy in the courtyard when Sang Yanrang hurriedly finds Du Yangxi and pulls him into a room. He reveals that the top three scholars from the imperial examination—the状元 (zhuangyuan), 榜眼 (bangyan), and 探花 (tanhua)—have all been appointed as officials in the将作监 (Directorate of Imperial Manufactures) and assigned to various prefectures. While others are sent to prosperous regions, Du Yangxi has been assigned to the remote border region of Xiongzhou. Sang Yanrang believes that Du Yangxi, being new to the officialdom and without connections in the court, might face difficulties and even bring trouble upon himself. He warns that personal honor is one thing, but when it involves the state, it cannot be taken lightly. It seems someone is deliberately making things hard for Du Yangxi.
